Time-lock



(No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 1. I. G. BLAKE.

TIME LOCK. N0. 573,855. Patented D60. 29, 1896.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2:.

I.G.BLAKE. TIME LOCK.

No. 573,855. Patented Dec. 29, 1896.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

IRA BLAKE, OF VORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

TIME-LOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 573,855, dated December 29, 1896. Application filed August 1896. Serial No. 601,692. (No model.)

following, together with the accompanying drawings, is a specification sufficiently full, clear, and exact toenable persons skilled in the art to which the invention appertains to make and use the same. 7

My present invention relates to the construction and manner of combining the dog and dog-operating appliances, the lock-case, and the plunger bar or bars with the timing mechanisms, the objects being to provide atime-lock mechanism of simple construction having few parts, convenient for operation and efficient of action, and applicable for use without material change under varying conditions of situation and service; also, to afford a reliable time-lock of comparatively small size, direct-acting, and adapted for use in either right, left, or vertical positions of the bolt-carrier connections or closing appliances, and with one or two chronometric movements affording all the strength and security heretofore attained by three or more chronometric movements.

Another object is to provide a time-lock with right and left-movements, an independent dogging device, and an intermediate dogoperating appliance controlled by said right and left movements. These objects I attain by the mechanism shown in the drawings and more fully explained in the following description, the particular subject-matter claimed being hereinafter definitely specified.

Figure 1 represents a front view of my improved time -lock. (The graduations and figures of the time-dials are omitted.) Fig. 2 is g a rear view of the same; Fig. 3, a horizontal sectional view; Fig. 4., a vertical central section at line X X, Fig. 3; and Fig. 5 is a front view of the slide separate from other parts.

In my invention the lock-case A is formed with two open compartments a a for containing the chronometrio mechanisms B B and has intermediate thereto a division or partition a with a vertical guideway a at its front part, while a rearward opening or slot 0 extends through the partition into a chamber 0, formed in the back part of the case, as shown. Said chamber 0 has opposite parallel sides at 5 and openings f f for the plunthe case.

At the front of the case I provide a vertically-moving slide or plate D, having thereon a laterally-projecting arm or detents cl d. Said slide is arranged to move up and down in the guideway a and has upon its rear side a rigidly-attached finger or prong D, that extends through the opening C into the chamber C. The slide is retained to move up and down its guideway by a front piece E, secured to the partition by screws 0. Said front piece is made hollow or chambered to contain a spring G, that is strained from a stud 4 upon the front piece to a stud 6, fixed upon the slide-plate D, so that the spring exerts force for normally elevating said slide and parts connected therewith in opposition to the movement of the actuatorarm I or I of the timing mechanism.

The chronometers B B or time-denoting mechanisms can be such as heretofore employed in time-locks. The motor-springs,

gear-trains, and escapement devices of the timing mechanisms are not shown in the drawings, as said parts are not a feature of my present invention; but it will be understood that such mechanism is suitably arranged to impart motion to the axis upon which the actuator-arm I is mounted. A suitable time meehanism for this purpose is explained in Letters Patent No. 526,555.

The timers have a graduated dial K (grad uation not shown) and perforated disk J, that carries the adjustable actuator-arms I I, revolvin g upon an axis at the center of the dial, and said arm is provided with a setting-pin for its adjustment relatively to the disk and with a head that contacts with the laterallyprojecting detent on the slide D for depressing the slide. Two time movements are in the present instance employed, the arm I of one moving toward the right and the arm I of the other moving toward the left. The

slide is disposed perpendicular to the plane of the axes of the revoluble actuator-arms and midway intermediate thereof.

ll. indicates the dog, which consists of a block of metal fitting within chamber 0 to move freely up and down therein and having rectangular top corners that act as gates across the plunger-openingsff as said dog is raised or depressed. The dog is supported upon the finger D, so that the dog-block moves in accordance with the movement of the slide D. This dog-block is preferably bifurcated or provided with dependent projections h at its lower part, which rest uponthe bottom of the chamber when at its lowest position and which receive the end of the finger D between them. This permits of the finger being removed and replaced without removin g the case from the safe-door when it is desired to remove either of the time movements from their compartment.

As herein shownin Fig. 2, a pin on is passed through the projections beneath the finger D, so that the slide and finger will pull the dog downward positively as well as elevate it. This pinm is not, however, in all instances required and is in practice omitted, as in Fig. 4, when it is desired to have the dog independent from its lifter, so as to fall by gravity, or free from positive movement therewith in its downward action.

The opening to the chamber 0 at the back of the case is closed by a removable slideplate L. The lock-case isadapted to be secured upon the door of the safe in well-known manner by the bolts at s s.

\Vhen the time-lock is applied to use, the outer end of the plunger-bar F is connected with the carrier or bolt mechanism (not shown) upon the safe-door in well-known manner, so that when the door is locked said plunger will have its inner end drawn out from the chamber and there dogged by the block H being raised across the plungeropening, the parts being, as shown in the drawings, in locked position.

The plunger or unlocking bar F is made with its inner end square or perpendicular to its axis for abutting against the side of the dog-block, which resists the unlocking action until the top angle of the dog falls below the bottom angle of the unlocking-bar, when the latter can move end wise into the chamber (3.

This time-lock can be used upon either right or'left hand doors without change in the lock mechanism, since the unlocking-bar will fit the opening at either the right or left hand end of the case, and the dog-block being rectangular and at the central position no variation in length of bar is demanded. This construction also aifords facility for double action by using two unlocking-bars F, one at the rightand one at the left, both abutting against the single dog'lI at opposite sides thereof.

This time-lock is also adapted to beemployed upon either a screw-door or a square door of a safe where a vertical orinward pull of the mechanism is required for releas ing'the clogs. This is provided for in my present invention by means of the plungerbar F inserted in the chamber 0 at the top of the case and connected with the dog-block H, as indicated by dotted lines on Figs. 2 and t, the dog-block being in such instances connected with the finger D of the slide D by pin m, so that depression of the finger will draw down the dog-block and bar F for allowing the clogs or parts connected therewith to drop by gravity or applied force, as may be employed in any of the various systems of clogging or locking with which the timelock may be used.

In the operation the time mechanism is first wound up, and the actuator-arms are then respectively set at positions according with the limit of time desired to elapse before the unlocking. The safe-door is then closedand the bolts thrown into lockedposition, shifting the plunger-bars F outward and allowing the spring G to elevate the slide D and by its finger D bring the dog-block I'I across the plunger-openings f f withinthe central chamber 0. The block, fitting within the chamber C and being supported by the side walls of said chamber, positively resists an y backward endwise movement of the plunger-bar and maintains the locked condition in the strongest manner so long as any portion of the plunger-openings are covered by said block, but fully releasing the parts the instant the angle of the dog-block falls below said opening. The lock thus remains secure un til the chronometrically-operated actuatorarm, moving in the directions indicated by arrows on Fig. 1, comes into contact with the laterally-proj cctin g detents d or d of the slide D, forcing said slide downward and allowing the dog-block II to descend within the chamber C to a position below the plunger-opening, so that the plunger-bar can slide endwise into said chamber above the top angle of the dog-block, thereby releasing the lock appliances upon the safe-door.

Dy constructing and combining the parts as shown and described a very simple and highly convenient and efficient time-lock is produced, while the mechanism is compact, making a reliable lock of small size that can be readily placed between the bars on safedoors, and which is equally available for use on either large or small safes.

The efficiency of l the lock is insured by strong walls for the chamber 0. The time mechanism has only to overcome the lifting force of the spring G, so that'the dog-block can drop by its own gravity, except in the case of using a vertical connection F in which case a slight pull upon the slide by the actuating-arm may be required; but the forces in such cases can be practically counteracted by regulating the tension of the sprin It is obvious that this look can, if desired, be made to be operated with a single chrono metric mechanism. In such instances the case can be formed somewhat shorter than herein shown, or as terminated at the dotted line P on Fig. 2, and the vertical slide D made with only one laterally-projecting detent d or d, in all other respects the mechanism being the same as that shown and organized to operate in the same manner as above set forth.

I claim as of my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In a time-lock, the dog-block movably fitting within a chamber at a vertical position in the case, the right or left lateral openings into said chamber across which said dogblock slides as a gate, the plunger-bar (or bars) arranged within said openings for endwise movement into and from said chamber, and the vertically-moving slide having the finger thereon for supporting said dog-b1ock, controlled by the arm of the chronometric mechanism, substantially as set forth.

2. In a time-lock, the case provided with two compartments and having between the same a division or partition with a vertical guideway thereon, a central rear chamber, and a slot through said partition from said guideway into said rear chamber, and the lateral opening for guiding the plunger-bar extending into said chamber, in combination with the chronometric mechanisms, the vertically-movable slide actuated thereby, mounted in said guideway and carrying a finger that extends rearward into the rear chamber, the dog-block fitting within said chamber resting upon said finger and the endwise-movable plunger-bar, for the purposes set forth.

A time-lock case provided with an open front compartment for containing the chronometric mechanism, and having a vertical rear chamber witha laterally-directed opening or guideway for a plunger-bar extending from said chamber to the end of the case, and located at the back of said compartment; in combination with the chronometric mechanism, the dog-block within said chamber, the endwise-movable plunger, and means for operating said dog-block controlled by the timing mechanism.

4. In a time-lock, in combination, the two chronometric mechanisms carrying respectively a right revoluble actuator arm and a left revoluble actuator-arm, the dog-operating slide arranged intermediate to said actuators and provided with oppositely-projecting detents'for contact with said actuatorarms,the vertically-movable dog-block. fitting within a chamber between the plunger-bar openings, a connection or finger from said slide engaging and moving said dog-block, a lift-spring for elevating said slide and dogblock, and the plunger or unlocking bars adapted for endwise impingement against said dog-block when in locked position, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination with the lock-case having the upright guideway, the rearward slot or opening, and the dogoperating slide mounted in said guideway; of the chambered front piece arranged in front of said slide, and the lifter-spring disposed within said front piece, its ends respectively connected with the front piece and the slide, as and for the purpose set'forth.

In a time-lock, the lock-case provided with a chamber for inclosing the dog-block, and a series of openings thereinto for receiving the bolt-controlling plunger-bars, the dog-block arranged to move up and down in said chamber, the upright plunger-bar F connected with said clog-block, in combination with means substantially as described operatively in engagement with said dogblock for effecting movement thereof under control of the time mechanism, and a timing mechanism therefor.

7. In a time-lock, the lock-case adapted-for the accommodation and uiding support of right, left and upright plungers or unlockingbars severally impinging on the same do block and movable toward and from a common position, a single dog-block fitted within' a chamber at the junction of the several plunger-guiding openings and adapted for regulating the release of said unlocking-bars,

and means controlled by the timing mechanism for shifting said dog-block.

WVitness my hand this 1st day of August, A. D. 1896:.

IRA G. BLAKE. 

